# Cf. Johnny Fontane and Frank Sinatra? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cf-johnny-fontane-and-frank-sinatra/358166 "2006-05-25T14:37:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cf-johnny-fontane-and-frank-sinatra/358166/1 "2006-05-25T14:37:59Z")
How many of the details of the life and personality of Johnny Fontane as depicted in the Godfather books and movies are taken directly from facts or rumours/legends about Frank Sinatra and how many are completely fictional? Beating his actress wife on the legs in order not to bruise her face? Getting out of a contract with a big band leader with the help of the mob? Getting a career-reviving role in a movie with the help of the mob? (Horse’s head scene) Others? If any of these are true, who would have been the Don Corleone in Sinatra’s life? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cf-johnny-fontane-and-frank-sinatra/358166/2 "2006-05-25T15:05:40Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] How many of the details of the life and personality of Johnny Fontane as depicted in the Godfather books and movies are taken directly from facts or rumours/legends about Frank Sinatra and how many are completely fictional? Beating his actress wife on the legs in order not to bruise her face? Getting out of a contract with a big band leader with the help of the mob? Getting a career-reviving role in a movie with the help of the mob? (Horse’s head scene) Others? If any of these are true, who would have been the Don Corleone in Sinatra’s life? [/QUOTE] I know Sinatra got out of a contract with big band leader Tommy Dorsey, and _From Here To Eternity_ was the big movie that revitalized his waning career. Also, Ava Gardner was the young ingenue he stole away from a studio head. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cf-johnny-fontane-and-frank-sinatra/358166/3 "2006-05-25T15:35:27Z")
For a sec there I thought you were talking about _Vic_ Fontaine and began wondering if I’d missed a lot of DS9 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cf-johnny-fontane-and-frank-sinatra/358166/4 "2006-05-25T16:04:56Z")
Didn’t he threaten to sue over the character?